The
Chordwainers' music explores the possibilities of leather instruments
designed and made by Garry Greenwood – Click
HERE for
more information about Garry and HERE
for notes on his leather techniques..
We do use other instruments to complement our leather instruments,
and play with other players too from time to time, but we are
dedicated to playing, composing and improvising on Garry's incredible
instruments.
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| Soprano
Bowhorn |
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This
was the first of the bowhorns – the instruments
that got Chordwaining going. It is played with a tenor
saxophone mouthpiece. There are 7 finger holes with a very
wide gap between the upper and lower hands. It has three distinct
registers: a low, rasty, microtonal one; a sweet middle F
minor/modal one; and a bugling zone at the top.
The Soprano Bowhorn was the first lead instrument for the
Chordwainers. Many of our songs feature melodies devised on
it: Wentlemarch, Tango, Huntsman and more.
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| Tenor
Bowhorn |
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The
Tenor Bowhorn is the foundation of the Chordwainer sound: a
solid, rich low F fundamental and a tower of overtones above.
It is played as is: no mouthpiece or finger holes – although
it sounds pretty cool in an in-your-face way with a sax mouthpiece.
Andrew uses bugling techniques (Groove Aerobix), or
didj-style techniques, and other sliding around and singing
trick to make this ‘one-note-wonder’ go
(Geology).er
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| The
Ostrich Bowhorn |
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The
Ostrich Bowhorn is a cowhide instrument with a layer of ostrich
leather laminated over the bell. It is played with a tenor saxophone
mouthpiece and has 7 finger holes. Its lowest note is the C
in the bass clef stave. It has a rich, sweet low register and
a high piercing upper one, with a large gap in the middle. Garry
was designing for players on this one; it also has a thumbrest
and loop for a neckstrap hook. The Ostrich Bowhorn features
on Grey Sea Shanty, Chloe’s Song and Mt. Barrow to Africa
2. It duets nicely with the Black Rose on Groove Aerobix, Spare
Change and other tunes. Karlin usually plays the Ostrich Bowhorn,
but sometimes Lila and Dan get to use it. r
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| The
Black Rose |
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The Black Rose is a straight cowhide horn with 7 finger holes.
I also has a leather thumb rest It is played with a tenor saxophone
mouthpiece. It has a bluesy low register, and a more fluent
higher register than the bowhorns. The Black Rose is usually
played by Lila and features on The Mountain Song, Geology and
Earopening Groove. |
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| The
String Drums |
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| The String
Drums have a string running from the tuning peg at one end to
the skin playing head at the other. The string pitch can be altered
by pressure on the head, tuning peg or squeezing the body of the
drum. The head pitch can be altered by covering and uncovering
sound holes on the side of the drum. A wah-wah effect can be obtained
by holding one's hand close to the drum head after striking it.
the sides of the drum produce useful resonate tones. |
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| Dragon
Didjeridu |
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The original
Dragon Didjeridu was built for composer and performer, Ron
Nagorcka, as a lightweight traveling instrument.
There are 4 different extension tubes giving different pitches.
Thus, the fundamentals available range from D - Ab. Garry also
made an elegant extension in the form of a tail to fit a trumpet
mouthpiece. Making Didjeridus from leather helps preserve native
forests We hope that these instruments will honour this rich
and ancient Australian tradition of tube-playing. Andrew uses
the Eb extension tube for Cordoba to ground this traditional
Bolivian tune with a traditional Australian bass. |
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| Pocopods |
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Pocopods
are ocarina-type instruments with 7-8 finger holes. They come
in a range of sizes. A set of 8 form part of the Tasmanian
Leather Orchestra collection at the Queen Victoria Museum
and Art Gallery. |
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| Mountain
Harp |
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Mountain
Harps are circular instruments with a rigid center post. Up
to 18 steel guitar strings are attached to tuning pegs on the
post and to a vellum or drum head on the bottom of the resonating
bowl. In his quest for tuning stability, Garry used more non-leather
materials. Geared banjo tuning pegs are used for precision
- previous instruments had wooden friction pegs. This Mountain
Harp has a bronze resonating bowl to prevent warpage from string
tension and synthetic snare drum heads on the bottom.
Performance technique is drawn from many stringed instrument
traditions: bowing, plucking, hittting with sticks (dulcimer),
slide, picks, bending the pitch by pressing on the string’s
anchor point on the bottom, playing above the upper bridge.
Many
tunings are possible so performance with conventional instruments
is friendly (Mt Barrow to Africa) as is performance
with instruments with different tuning systems, or less stable
pitch. |
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| Tromba
Marina |
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| The Tromba
Marina is part of the Queen Victoria Museum& Art Gallery's
'Tasmanian Leather Orchestra' collection. It is based
upon a medieval one stringed instrument of the same name. It has
two bridges, one fixed and one moveable. The moveable bridge rattles
against the sound board as the the strings are bowed producing
an intense tone, particularly on the harmonics, suggesting the
sound of a trumpet. This instrument has three strings and can
be played bowed or plucked. For very special performances The
Chordwainers can access to this instrument but it doesn't feature
in our regular repertoire. |
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